This Thursday, a decision from the RAE clarified the use of the word only. It is considered optional and can carry a tilde, much like demonstratives this, that, and that, when there is a real risk of ambiguity and the context leans toward feminine or plural forms where needed for clarity.
The change follows long-standing debates among scholars and writers who argued that the tilde on these words should be decriminalized to reduce confusion. Language academies have noted that the same word can function as an adverb, an adjective, or a determiner, and the presence or absence of a tilde could alter meaning in certain sentences.
Previously, the RAE treated the word only as an adverb and as a marker in some demonstratives when necessary to distinguish from other forms. It also considered the feminine and plural forms of this and related signs, with no diacritics applied when the expressions did not create ambiguity according to general accentuation rules.
When a sentence like Works on Sundays only appears, the reader might interpret it in two ways: it could refer to the scheduling of tasks or to the solitary execution of those tasks on Sundays. In such cases, the ambiguity is typically resolved by looking at the broader context rather than relying on accent marks alone.
The overarching guidance was to avoid marking these words. While marking remains optional when ambiguity is present, the decision about whether to use the tilde has often depended on the preferences of the author, teacher, or examiner, rather than a fixed rule.
The current innovation asks whether the use of the tilde should depend on the writer’s discretion. This reframing shifts control from rigid grammar prescriptions to practical clarity in real writing contexts.
Academic observer Arturo Perez Reverte highlighted to EFE the satisfaction with this shift, noting broad scholarly agreement on applying the new approach. He pointed out that the reform preserves the original intent while making tilde usage more plausible in borderline cases, empowering authors to decide when it adds value to the text. The focus remains on clarity and readability rather than on enforcing a strict historic convention.